• Flashlights and extra bulbs
• Battery-operated radio
• Fully charged battery-operated lanterns. Don't get candles and kerosene lanterns. They are fire hazards.
• Extra batteries
• Matches
• Clock (wind-up or battery-operated)
• Plastic garbage bags
• Working fire extinguishers
• Scissors
• Clean change of clothes, rain gear, sturdy swamp boots
• An inexpensive rabbit-ears television antenna to use if cable goes out

House Checklist

• Gather supplies early
• Store loose outdoor items
• Anchor small sheds
• Trim dead branches from trees and shrubs
• Put chorine in pool - protect filter motor
• Tape or board up windows
• Fill gas tank of cars - park in safe place
• Remove valuables (furniture and rugs) from the floor
• Move furniture away from window - cover with plastic
• Put important documents in waterproof container
• Get extra cash (ATMs may lose power)
• Keep tuned to this station for the latest information

Food and Water

• Bottled water. Figure on a gallon of drinking water per person per day.
• Shelf-package juice and milk boxes
• Canned and powdered milk
• Beverages (powdered or canned, fruit juices, instant coffee, tea)
• Prepared foods (canned soups, beef, spaghetti, tuna, chicken, ham, corned beef hash, fruit cocktail, packaged pudding)
• Canned vegetables and fruits
• Dried fruits
• Snacks (crackers, cookies, hard candy, nuts)
• Snack spreads (peanut butter, cheese spreads, jelly)
• Cereals
• Raw vegetables
• Sugar, salt, pepper
• Bread
• Dry and canned pet food
• Right now, buy all the nonperishable foods you will need, put them in a box and leave them alone, except to rotate stock. Stock up on ice and pack coolers as early as possible. Freezing them ahead of time is less hassle than fighting for them at a store.
• Before the storm, turn your refrigerator and freezer to the coldest setting and drape blankets over them, but keep bottom vents clear. Then move perishables you'll use first into ice chests to limit opening of refrigerators.
• Designate one cooler you will open regularly; fill that with drinks and less perishable items. Set aside other coolers for more perishable things such as meats and open them only rarely.
• Crank up your ice maker, break out the ice cube trays or fill jugs with water, so you can be making and storing ice in your freezer or coolers around the clock.
• Store cubes or small blocks of ice in sealed bags and containers so you can drink it after it melts.
• Clean your bathtub out, then wash it with bleach. Rinse thoroughly. If possible, line it with plastic. Then fill it and as many clean bottles as you can with drinking water. Fill your toilet tank; you'll want it to flush after the storm.

Hardware

• Hand tools - hammer, screwdrivers to use now, shovel and pickax for after the storm
• Power screwdriver
• 4x8-foot sheets of plywood 5/8-inch to 1/2-inch thick to put over windows. Ask for exterior plywood.
• 1/4 machine screw sockets and screws
• Plastic sheeting to cover furniture
• Rope
• Sturdy working gloves
• Duct tape to waterproof items; masking tape isn't strong enough.
• Canvas tarps
• Nails. There are many kinds, so look over your home now and determine what you will need.

Medical Needs

• Medic-alert tags
• Insect-repellent sprays and candles
• Feminine hygiene items
• Sunscreen
• Soap
• First-aid kit and first-aid handbook
• A supply of any prescription drugs
• Extra over-the-counter medicine (for colds, allergies, cough)
• Children's medicines
• Aspirin
• Bandages
• Adhesive tape
• Cotton-tipped swabs
• Antiseptic solution
• Sterile rolls, bandages
• Ear drops
• Thermometer
• Tweezers
• Needles
• Disinfectant

Baby Needs

• Disposable diapers, wipes
• Formula, baby food
• Diaper rash ointment, petroleum jelly
• Baby medicines (pain, cold, cough)
• Medicine dropper

Emergency Toilet

• Small can with tight lid
• Plastic bags for liners
• Disinfectant or bleach
• Deodorizer

Kitchen Supplies

• Plastic to line bathtub to fill with water
• Jugs or containers to store water
• Water purification tablets (usually available only in drug stores), 2 percent tincture of iodine or ordinary household bleach, which contains hypochlorite as its only active ingredient - not bleach with soap, lemon or other additives.
• Manual can opener
• Bottle opener
• Matches
• Pocketknife - preferably Swiss Army style
• Camp stove or other cooking device and plenty of fuel. Use canned fuel, not charcoal or gas
• Disposable dishes
• Ice chests or coolers
• Paper plates, napkins, cutlery, cups